1741. Debates. He told me himself, that he was the sole Etat, composer of them for those three years only. He was 32. not, however, precisely exact in his statement, which he mentioned from hasty recollection; for it is sufficiently evident, that his composition of them began November 19, 1740, and ended February 23, 1742-3.

It appears from some of Cave's letters to Dr. Birch, that Cave had better assistance for that branch of his Magazine, than has been generally supposed; and that he was indefatigable in getting it made as perfect as he could.

Thus, 21st July, 1735. "I trouble you with the inclosed, because you said you could easily correct what is here given for Lord C-ld's speech. I beg you will do so as soon as you can for me, because the month is far advanced."

And 15th July, 1737. "As you remember the debates so far as to perceive the speeches already printed are not exact, I beg the favour that you will peruse the inclosed, and, in the best manner your memory will serve, correct the mistaken passages, or add any thing that is omitted. I should be very glad to have something of the Duke of N-le's speech, which would be particularly of service.

"A gentleman has Lord Bathurst's speech to add something to."

And July 3, 1744, "You will see what stupid, low, abominable stuff is put upon your noble and learned friend's character, such as I should quite reject, and endeavour to do something better towards doing justice to the character. But as I cannot expect to attain my desire in that respect, it would be a great satisfaction, as well as an honour to our work, to have the favour of the genuine speech. It is a method that several have been pleased to take, as I could show, but I think myself under a restraint. I shall say so far, that I have had some by a third hand, which I understood well enough to come from the first; others by penny-post, and others by the speakers themselves, who have been

1 I suppose in another compilation of the same kind.

Doubtless, Lord Hardwick.

Etat.

pleased to visit St. John's Gate, and show particular 1741. marks of their being pleased."3 There is no reason, I believe, to doubt the veracity 32. of Cave. It is, however, remarkable, that none of these letters are in the years during which Johnson alone furnished the Debates, and one of them is in the very year after he ceased from that labour. Johnson told me, that as soon as he found that the speeches were thought genuine, he determined that he would write no more of them; "for he would not be accessary to the propagation of falsehood." And such was the tenderness of his conscience, that a short time before his death he expressed his regret for his having been the authour of fictions, which had passed for realities.

4

He nevertheless agreed with me in thinking, that the debates which he had framed were to be valued as orations upon questions of publick importance. They have accordingly been collected in volumes, properly arranged, and recommended to the notice of parlia mentary speakers by a preface, written by no inferior hand. I must, however, observe, that although there is in those debates a wonderful store of political information, and very powerful eloquence, I cannot agree that they exhibit the manner of each particular speaker, as Sir John Hawkins seems to think. But, indeed, what opinion can we have of his judgement, and taste in publick speaking, who presumes to give, as the characteristicks of two celebrated orators, "the deepmouthed rancour of Pulteney, and the yelping pertinacity of Pitt."s

This year I find that his tragedy of IRENE had been for some time ready for the stage, and that his necessities made him desirous of getting as much as he could for it, without delay; for there is the following letter from Mr. Cave to Dr. Birch, in the same volume of manuscripts in the British Museum, from which I copied those above quoted. They were most obligingly

3 Birch's MSS. in the British Museum, 4302.

* I am assured that the editor is Mr. George Chalmers, whose commercial works are well known and esteemed.

Hawkins's Life of Johnson, p. 100.

1742. pointed out to me by Sir William Musgrave, one of the Curators of that noble repository.

Etat.

33.

Sept. 9, 1741.

"I HAVE put Mr. Johnson's play into Mr. Gray's hands, in order to sell it to him, if he is inclined to buy it; but I doubt whether he will or not. He would dispose of the copy, and whatever advantage may be made by acting it. Would your society, or any gentleman, or body of men that you know, take such a bargain? He and I are very unfit to deal with theatrical persons. Fleetwood was to have acted it last season, but Johnson's diffidence or prevented it." I have already mentioned that " Irene," was not brought into publick notice till Garrick was manager of Drury-lane theatre.

8

In 17429 he wrote for the Gentleman's Magazine the "Preface," the "Parliamentary Debates,"*"Essay on the Account of the Conduct of the Duchess of Marlborough,"* then the popular topick of conversation. This Essay is a short but masterly performance. We find him in No. 13 of his Rambler, censuring a profligate sentiment in that "Account;" and again insisting upon it strenuously in conversation." " An Account of the Life of Peter Burman,"* I believe chiefly taken from a foreign publication; as, indeed, he could not himself know much about Burman; "Additions to his Life of Barretier;"*"The Life of Sydenham,"* afterwards prefixed to Dr. Swan's edition of his works; "Proposals for printing Bibliotheca Harleiana, or a Catalogue of the Library of the Earl of Ox

6 A bookseller of London.

'Not the Royal Society; but the Society for the encouragement of Learning, of which Dr. Birch was a leading member. Their object was, to assist authours in printing expensive works. It existed from about 1735 to 1746, when, having incurred a considerable debt, it was dissolved.

There is no erasure here, but a mere blank; to fill up which may be an exercise for ingenious conjecture.

"[From one of his letters to a friend, written in June 1742, it should seem that he then purposed to write a play on the subject of Charles the Twelfth, of Sweden, and to have it ready for the ensuing winter. The passage alluded to, however, is somewhat ambiguous; and the work which he then had in contemplation may have been a history of that monarch. M.]

1 Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides, 3d. edit. p. 167.

ford."* His account of that celebrated collection of 1742.
books, in which he displays the importance to litera-
Etat.
ture, of what the French call a catalogue raisonné, when 33.
the subjects of it are extensive and various, and it is
executed with ability, cannot fail to impress all his
readers with admiration of his philological attainments.
It was afterwards prefixed to the first volume of the
Catalogue, in which the Latin accounts of books were
written by him. He was employed in this business by
Mr. Thomas Osborne the bookseller, who purchased
the library for £13,000, a sum which Mr. Oldys says, in
one of his manuscripts, was not more than the binding
of the books had cost; yet, as Dr. Johnson assured me,
the slowness of the sale was such, that there was not
much gained by it. It has been confidently related,
with many embellishments, that Johnson one day
knocked Osborne down in his shop, with a folio, and
put his foot upon his neck. The simple truth I had
from Johnson himself. "Sir, he was impertinent to
me, and I beat him. But it was not in his shop: it
was in my own chamber."

A very diligent observer may trace him where we should not easily suppose him to be found. I have no doubt that he wrote the little abridgement entitled "Foreign History," in the Magazine for December. To prove it, I shall quote the Introduction. "As this is that season of the year in which Nature may be said to command a suspension of hostilities, and which seems intended, by putting a short stop to violence and slaughter, to afford time for malice to relent, and animosity to subside; we can scarce expect any other account than of plans, negociations and treaties, of proposals for peace, and preparations for war." As also this passage: "Let those who despise the capacity of the Swiss, tell us by what wonderful policy, or by what happy conciliation of interests, it is brought to pass, that in a body made up of different communities and different religions, there should be no civil commotions, though the people are so warlike, that to nominate and raise an army is the same."

1742.

I am obliged to Mr. Astle for his ready permission to copy Etat. the two following letters, of which the origin33. als are in his possession. Their contents shew that they were written about this time, and that Johnson was now engaged in preparing an historical account of the British Parliament.

"TO MR. CAVE.

1

66

SIR,

[No date.]

"I BELIEVE I am going to write a long letter, and have therefore taken a whole sheet of paper. The first thing to be written about is our historical design.

"You mentioned the proposal of printing in numbers, as an alteration in the scheme, but I believe you mistook, some way or other, my meaning; I had no other view than that you might rather print too many of five sheets, than of five and thirty.

"With regard to what I shall say on the manner of proceeding, I would have it understood as wholly indifferent to me, and my opinion only, not my resolution. Emptoris sit eligere.

"I think the insertion of the exact dates of the most important events in the margin, or of so many events as may enable the reader to regulate the order of facts with sufficient exactness, the proper medium between a journal, which has regard only to time, and a history which ranges facts according to their dependence on each other, and postpones or anticipates according to the convenience of narration. I think the work ought to partake of the spirit of history, which is contrary to minute exactness, and of the regularity of a journal, which is inconsistent with spirit. For this reason, I neither admit numbers or dates, nor reject them.

"I am of your opinion with regard to placing most of the resolutions, &c. in the margin, and think we shall give the most complete account of Parliamentary proceedings that can be contrived. The naked papers, without an historical treatise interwoven, require some other book to make them understood. I will date the succeeding facts with some exactness, but I think in